Machine and apparatus for leveling and tamping railway rails and ties



C. J. DERLER ARATUS Jan. 28, 1964 MACHINE AND APP FOR LEVELING AND TAMPI RAILWAY RAILS AND TIES 6 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 11, 1960 Q QR M a Jan. 28, 1964 c. J. DERLER 3,119,346

MACHINE AND APPARATUS FOR LEVELING AND TAMPING RAILWAY RAILS AND TIES Filed Jan. 11, 1960 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 C. J. DERLER RATUS FOR LEV Jan. 28, 1964 3,119,346 MACHINE AND APPA ELING AND TAMPING RAILWAY RAILS AND TIES 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Jan. 11, 1960 INVENTOR. (hm/as J fler/e r ATTO/P/VZ'Y Jan. 28, 1964 C. J. D MACHINE AND APPARATUS FOR RAILWAY RAILS Filed Jan. 11, 1960 ERLER 3,119,346 LEVELING AND TAMPING AND TIES 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR.

CQM

ATTORNEY C. J. DERLER RATUS FOR LEVE Jan. 28, 1964 3,119,346

MACHINE AND APPA LING AND TAMPING RAILWAY RAILS AND TIES 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Jan. 11, 1960 Zak INVENTOR. (bar/es c/ fie/"r //z R f W United States l atent Ofilice lid. 19,345 Patented Jan. 28, 1964 MACHHNE AND APFAiiATU FGR LEVEHNG AND TAMFihIG RAEWAY RAES AND TIES Charles 5. Derier, Lndington, Mich assignor, by niesne assignments, to .lacitsen Vibrators, The, Ludington,

Mich a corparatien of liiineis Filed lien. 11, 196 Ser. No. 1,466 11? Claims. (Cl. 104l12) This invention relates to improvements in machine and apparatus for leveling and tamping railway rails and ties. The principal objects of this invention are:

First, to provide a compact and efiicient machine for selectively gripping and raising one or both rails of a railway and raising the rails to a preselected elevation and thereafter tamping ballast underneath the raised rail to support the rail in its new elevation.

econd, to provide a machine for the foregoing purposes in which the rail gripping and lifting mechanism is carried by a unitary support mounted on a supporting carriage so that the heavy loads incident to lifting the rail are not transmitted to or through the carriage and so that the carriage which supports the controls and driving mechanism for the machine will function independently of the track lifting mechanism and merely as a transport for. the lifting mechanism.

Third, to provide a railway rail lifting and tamping mechanism provided with simple controls by means of which the elevation to which the rail is raised can be accurately controlled to progressively level the rail at a preselected elevation.

Fourth, to provide a track elevating and tamping mechanism with a novel hydraulic and electrical drive and control system which permits the apparatus to move rapidly along a railway while stopping at selected points to raise and tamp the road bed under the rail at those points.

Fifth, to provide a novel form of rail grabbing grip for a rail raising and tamping machine which permits the grabbing mechanism to be easily removed for repair or conversion for different rail gauges or point of engagement with the rail or replacement without interference with the other parts of the apparatus and which transmits the lifting force to the rail from a rigid lifting beam without imparting lifting stress to the carriage of the apparatus.

Sixth, to provide control apparatus for successively engaging the rail gripping jaws, actuating the rail lifting rams, reciprocating ballast tamping heads and then reversely actuating the rail raising rams and releasing the rail grabs and advancing the carriage supporting the mechanism so that no operation can be initiated in improper sequence to damage parts of the machine.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from a consideration of the following description and claims. The drawings, of which there are six sheets, illustrate a highly practical form of the invention.

FIG. 1 is a small scale side elevational view of the machine in operative position on a railway.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary side elevational view of the supporting carriage and driving mechanism for the rail lifting and tie tamping elements of the machine with the rail engaging jaws illustrated in rail gripping position and the rail lifting rams illustrated in raised inactive position. One of the tamping heads is broken away and omitt d with the other tamping head illustrated in raised inoperative position.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary top plan view of the carriage, lifting rams and tamping heads with one of the lifting rams swung outwardly to operative position and partially 2 broken away and with the tamping motors and blades on one head omitted.

FIG. 4 is a front elevational view of the machine with the rail elevating rams raised and with one of the tamping heads lowered.

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary horizontal cross sectional view taken along the plane of the line 5-5 in FIGS. 4 and 6 and illustrating the mounting of the rail grabbing jaws on the rail lifting beam.

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary vertical cross sectional view taken along the plane of the line 6-6 in FIGS. 4 and 5.

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary front elevational view of the mounting of the rail grabbing jaws with the jaws in operative position.

FIG. 8 is a schematic hydraulic diagram showing the hydraulic connections and controls for the machine.

FIG. 9 is a schematic electrical wiring diagram of the electrical controls for the machine.

FIG. 1 illustrates the general relationship and functions of the parts of the leveling and tamping machine of the invention. The rails of a railway are indicated at 1 supported upon ties 2 as is common. A suitable rectangular carriage 3 having rail engaging wheels 4 and 5 is adapted to be supported upon and move along the rails 1 as will be described. The carriage 3 supports a prime mover or internal combustion engine 6 connected to drive a generator 7 and hydraulic pump 8. A fuel tank is indicated at 9 and a transmission 19 is connected as will be described to drive the wheels 4 for advancing the carriage along the rails. Mounted on the forward end of the carriage is a pedestal 11 for controls to be described and an upright guide frame 12 vertically adjustably supports and guides tamping head slides 13. The tamping head slides have forwardly and downwardly inclined tubular arms 14 supporting tamping heads 15 with vibratory motors lland tamping blades 17 positioned laterally on each side of each rail 1 of the railway.

Pushed in front of the carriage 3 as by the push rods 18 are a series of light spacing carriages 19, the forward one of which carries upright 20. A lesser number of spacing carriages 19 are trailed behind the driving carriage 3 with the trailing carriage supporting a second upright 21. A gage wire 22 is stretched taut between the uprights 2i) and 21 and passes alongside of the upright 12 on the driving carriage to act as an elevation gage as will be described in greater detail presently.

With the general combination just described, it will be apparent that the trailing carriage and upright 21 will support the gage wire 22 at an elevation which has been adjusted to the desired level. The leading upright 20 may e variably below the desired level but since the lifting and tamping mechanism is closer to the rear upright 21 than the forward upright 20, the lifting and tamping mechanism can be actuated to raise the rail under the carriage 3 until it approximates the predetermined elevation as indicated by the rear end of the gage wire 22. As the apparatus advances along a railway the rails can be raised and leveled to a predetermined elevation. Cross leveling between the two rails of the railway may be accomplished by first raisin one rail to the desired position and then raising the other rail by cross reference to the first rail.

Considering in greater detail the construction of the driving carriage 3 and the mechanism thereon attention is invited to FIGS. 2, 3 and 4 in which the engine 6 and generator 7 are shown mounted on a unitary subframe 23 supported on the carriage 3 as a unit. This permits the power unit consisting of the engine and generator to be removed for service or use in other positions. The hydraulic pump 8 is mounted on the carriage 3 and driven from the engine shaft by a chain 24. The output from the hydraulic pump 8 is directed through suitable pipes and conduits not physically illustrated to a manifold mounted on the carriage 3. The manifold 25 includes' a series of solenoid operated valves indicated conventionally at V and shown more particularly as regards their function and structure in fine circuit diagram appearing in FIG. 8.

The driving mechanism for the carriage 3 consists of a hydraulic motor 26 mounted on a sub-base 27 and connected by a shaft 28 to the change speed transmission 29 having a control lever 3d. Positioned around the shaft 28 which connects the motor with the transmission and cooperative therewith is a magnetic brake 31 arranged to grip the shaft 28 and stop the transmission and the carriage when the hydraulic motor 26 is deenergized.

The upright indicated generally at 12 at the front of the carriage consists more particularly of four upright columns 32 of circular cross section disposed in two pairs transversely across tie front of the carriage and connected at the top by a cross bar 33. The columns 32 form guides for the hour glass rollers 34 mounted between the side plates 35 which form part of the vertically adjustable tamper head slides 13 from which the previously described arms 14 project downwardly and forwardly to two separate cross bars 3%. At their ends the cross bars 36 are provided with hanger blocks 37 connecting the ends of semi-elliptical springs 33 to the cross bars. The free ends of the springs 33 which are arranged in vertically spaced pairs are connected by tie plates 39 and the tie plates support transversely extending horizontal pivots 4% which rockably support longitudinally extending yokes 41 having transversely extending arms 4-2. The arms 42 carry longitudinally extending horizontal pivots 43 from which are suspended base members 44 for vibratory units each of which includes a vibratory motor 16 and depending tamper blades 17 which are vibrated by motors. The vibratory units and their mountings from the spring 38 are similar to the structure disclosed and claimed more fully in the patent to Jackson 2,899,909, issued August 18, 1959. Flexible strips 46 limit downward tilting motion of the rear ends of the yokes 41 and straps 47 limit downward tilting motion of the sides of the vibratory units closest to the rails 1.

When the tamper head slides 13 are lowered the tamper plates 17 are pressed into the ballast on each side of a tie and on each side of the rails 1 and due to the vibratory motion imparted to the plates they penetrate into the ballast and swing about the pivots and 43 to converge under the tie and the rail. As is described in the above mentioned Jackson patent, the vibratory action of the plates on tie ballast causes the ballast to be compacted underneath the tie. In the operation of the leveling and tamping machine of the present invention a surplus of ballast is provided adjacent to the tie so that this surplus is vibrated and compacted under the tie to support the tie and the rail in its newly elevated position.

The tamper head slides 13 and the vibratory units carried thereby are selectively raised and lowered by means of hydraulic cylinders 43 pivoted on the forward edge of the carriage at 49 and provided with upwardly extending piston rods 5% which connect with cross bars Sll connected between the slide plates 35 of each tamper head slide member. The hydraulic cylinders 48 are supplied with fluid under pressure through the conduits 52 to raise the tamper heads while conduits 53 at the upper ends of the cylinders are adapted to transmit fluid for forcing the tamper heads downwardly.

The track or rail gripping and elevating mechanism of the machine is carried primarily by a heavy rigid transverse lifting beam 54, which as appears more clearly in FIG. 6, is of hollow box section secured to the forward cross frame member of the carriage 3 for support by the carriage. At its ends the beam 54 is provided with vertical pivots or king pins 55, the upper ends of which are supported and guided by forwardly angled wings 55 on the ends of the cross bar 33. The king pins 55 rotata'oly adjustably support collars 57 having radially projecting arms 53. The swinging ends of the arms 58 have clamps 59 secured thereto and holding the lower ends of track raising ram cylinders es rigidly but angularly adjustably on the ends of the beam 54. The ram cylinders 6% have downwardly projecting piston rods 61 with ground engaging pads 62 on their ends. A pressure fluid conduit 63 connected to the upper end of each cylinder permits the pad 62 to be forced downwardly with great force thus lifting the cross beam 54- and the front end of the carriage 3. The pads 62. can be selecitvely raised and the beam and carriage correspondingly lowered by regulating the admission of fluid under pressure to the conduits 64 connected to the lower ends of the ram cylinders.

In order to raise the rails along with the beam 54 a pair of rail grab books 65 are connected to the underside of the beam 5 over each rail 1. It is pointed out that the heavy load or stress incident to lifting a section of the rails and ties of the railway is thus transmitted entirely through the beam 54 from the hooks 65 to the ground engaging pads 62. Thus little stress is placed on the carriage 3 due to lifting of the track. In the laterally outwardly adjusted positions of the arms 58 and pads 62, the pads engage the ground well beyond the ends of the ties 2. The arms 53 and cylinders 60 are swung inwardly to provide lateral clearance as the machine is moved for considerable distances along the railway to and from a job.

The mounting of the rail grab hooks 65 on the beam 54 is more particularly illustrated in FIGS. 5 to 7 in which spaced hanger plates 66 are shown welded into the lower edges of the beam to depend therebelow over the rails 1. Each grab hook support includes a pair of Ion gitudinally extending laterally spaced bolts 67 extended through and supported by the plates 66'. Sleeves 63 positioned around the bolts between the plates are gripped between an upper block 69 and a lower block 79. The blocks are clamped on opposite sides of the sleeves by screws 71 and the upper block 69 supports a sleeve 72. Slidably positioned in the sleeve 72 is a hydraulic cylinder 73 having fluid supply connections 74 and '75 at opposite ends thereof. A piston rod 76 projects from the cylinder at one end. A cross pin 77 is connected to the end of the cylinder opposite the piston rod while a second cross pin 73 is connected to the end of the piston rod.- The; rail grab hooks 65 are pivotally supported on the sleeves 63 and have crank arms 78 on their upper ends which are connected to the cross pins 77 and 78 by links 80. It will thus be seen that extension of the piston rod 76 from the cylinder 73 draws the crank arms 79 outwardly and causes the lower rail engaging ends of the books 65 to be engaged under the ball of the rail 1. The hydraulic pressure supplied to the cylinders 73 can effect an extremely tight grip on the rail 1. If desired the books 65 can be lengthened to engage under the base flange of the rail. The slidable mounting of the cylinders in the slepvejs '72 makes the jaws 65 self centering under the rai s Mounted on the bottom of the carriage 3 at approximately the center of gravity of the entire machine is a hydraulic cylinder 81 having a downwardly projecting swivel head $2 (see FIG. 4) which can be forced downwardly to engage the roadbed and lift the entire machine off of the rails l. The machine can then be rotated crossof the roadbed and temporary setoif rails positioned under the wheels for rolling the machine off of the main rails 1 when it is necessary to clear the main track of the railway. In the event that the main driving engine 6 should fail, an emergency battery driven motor 83 is mounted on the side of the fuel tank g and connected to an emergency pump 84. The pump 84 will provide suficient fluid pressure for actuating the cylinders 48 and 60 to retract the tamping heads and the elevating rams 62 and to depress the setofi ram 82.

The elevation regulating and level determining meohanism of the machine consists of a pair of upright gage rods 85 guided at their upper ends by plates 86 projecting forwardly from the cross bar 33. The lower ends of the gage bars 85 are squared as at 87 and have rail engaging rollers 33 mounted thereon to rest upon the rails 1. Guide brackets 39 on the front of the carriage guide the lower ends of the gage rods. Toward the upper ends the gage rods 85 are threaded as at 9% to adjustably engage threaded nuts having hand wheels 91. The hand wheels 91 are connected to sleeves 92; and the two sleeves have forwardly projecting pins 93 which angularly adjustably support a transversely extending sight bar The ends of the sight bar 94 pivotally support laterally extending gage fingers that project into the vertical plane of the gage wire 2-2. With the height of the gage wire 22 above the desired position of the rails predetermined, the sight bar 94 can be adjusted so that the gage fingers 95 will contact the gage wire at that elevation. ius if the ra ls at the point engaged by the gage rods 85 are low they may be gripped by the jaws 65 to clamp the beam 5 2' to the rails after which the ram 6?; can be lowered to raise the beam and the carriage and the rails simultaneously to the level predetermined by the gage wire 22. The coincidence of the gage wire with the gage fingers $5 may be observed visually by the operator or may be signaled electrically by the actuation of one or the other of the switches indicated conventionally at 96. Normally one gage wire 22 is used as a reference line but two gage iigers 95 are provided to function with a gage wire on either side of the machine. The fingers 5 and switches constitute elevation sensing devices cooperative with the gage wire which constitutes an elevation indicating means. Other indicating and sensing means such as a light beam and photo electric cell could be substituted for the mecha ical devices illustrated.

When only one elevation indicating device such as the gage wire is used, the two rails of the railway can be cross leveled by a cross leveling device such as the pendulum $7 pivoted on the center of the sight bar 94-. The upwardly projecting end 5 3 of the pendulum can be observed visually by the operator or a deviation from a perpendicular position of the pendulum with respect to the sig t bar 94 can be indicated by electrical switches shown conventionally at 99' which are actuated by the pendulum whenever the sight bar deviates from a horizontal position.

in order to assure proper positioning of the ground engaging rams or prior to initiating horizontal movement of the carriage, limit switches lfiil are mounted on the arms 53 to cooperate with feeler pins ltl'l that are engaged by the ram heads 62 to signal the fully retracted raised positions of the rams. When high speed movement of the carriage along a railway to and from working position is to talre place the arms 5'8 and cylinders 62? are swung inwardly as previously described to assure adequate side clearance for the machine. To assure that the rams are swung inwardly, the arms are provided with swinging blades 1&2 that swing into actuating engagement with switches when the arms are fully retracted. Limit switches 184 on the interior tamper head supporting arms 14 coact with and engage the sight bar 94 to signal the raised position of the tamper heads.

The operatin, connections and controls for the mach ne are most clearly illustrated in the diagrammatic views of the hydraulic and electric systems disclosed in FIGS. 8 and 9. With particular reference to FIG. 8 it will be noted that the several valves V include first a standard pressure relief valve Hi5 connected to the output of the pump 85 by a conduit res. The valve 1% functions norm-ally to permit and require the build up of a relatively high pressure in the conduit ill? but to regulate this pressure by bypassing excess fluid to the reservoir R. The conduit lil"? delivers to and through a solenoid operated valve which can be actuated by the solenoid 169 to deliver fluid through one of the conduits 5 2, to the 6 lower end of one of the tamper heud raising cylinders 48. Rever e or opposite actuation of the valve by the solenoid 1 10 delivers fluid pressure through the conduit 53 to force the tamping head downwardly.

The valvelllhl at all times delivers. through the conduit ill to a duplicate valve M2 which is shown in greater detail to include a central control spool ill-3 which alternatively connects the inlet port of the valve to the delivery ports M4 and 115. End spools L16 function to connect the inactive delivery port to a return passage 117 openin to the reservoir R. The valve 112 when actuated by the solenoid 11$ delivers to the conduit 1'19 extending first to a pressure sequence valve from which pressure is transmitted immediately through one of the conduits 74 to one of the jaw actuating cylinders 73 to close the jaws. After the closing of the jaws builds up sufficient pressure in the sequence valve 120 the Valve functions in a well known manner to deliver through one of the conduits 63 to the top of one of the lifting ram cylinders iii to force the ram 62 downwardly and raise the cross beam J4 and the tamper carriage. A duplicate system of valves and conduits and solenoids exists for the rail jaws, tamper head actuating cylinder and carriage lifting ram on the opposite side of the machine.

When the cross beam 54- and the carriage are to be lowered as at the end of a tamping operation, the solenoid 121 is energized to shift the valve spool 113 and admit fluid pressure to the conduit 122 which extends first to a second pressure sequence valve 123. The valve 123 delivers first to one of the conduits 75 to move the railjaw actuating piston rod 76 to jaw disengaging position. However, the pressure sequence setting of valve 123 is relatively slight and since considerable pressure will be required to disengage the jaws 65 if they are supporting the considerable load of a rail after the rail has been jacked up by the rams 62, the valve 123 will open briefly to admit fluid to the conduit 6d and cause upward retraction of the ram 62 which moves easily due to the weight which it is supporting. Thus the jaws remain closed until the load on the rail 1 is relieved by settling onto either its old or newly tamped supporting surface in the roadhed. After the carriage is lowered the jaws 65 are opened leaving the carriage free for forward motion so far as the jaws are concerned. Both the tamper head actuating valve 1% and the lifting ram and jaw actuating valve 1112. are automatically retained to neutral shut-oil position when none of the solenoids are actuated.

A fifth double acting solenoid valve 124 is constantly supplied through the conduit 125 from the relief valves 1&5 and is adapted to be actuated by a solenoid 126 to supply the traction motor as with fluid through the conduit 127 to advance the carriage in one direction. Opposite actuation of the valve 12A by a solenoid 128 delivers fluid through a conduit 129 for reverse operation of the motor.

During the working operation of the machine when high pressures are desired for actuating the lifting rams 62, the pressure relief valves supply the desired high pressure to the conduits lit? as previously described. However, the energy or pressure required to move the carriage along the track for considerable distances as in going to and four the working position need not be as great as the pressure required to lift the track and the driving motor 26 will move the carriage satisfactorily at a lower pressure. To accommodate or provide this lower pressure, conduits 139 open from the pressure relief valves 1&5. through check valves 131 to a solenoid operated valve 132 which is normally closed. The valve 132 can be opened by energizing a solenoid 133 to connect the conduits 134 to a low pressure relief valve 134 which relieves and therefore regulates the pressure delivered to the conduits .107 at a relatively low pressure. The pump 8 then operates against relatively low pressure and at high speed and volume to provide more rapid drive for the carriage.

When the lifting beam 54 is raised to lift the track by actuation of the valves 112 and the solenoids 118, it is entirely possible for the rams 62. to raise the beam higher than is desired before the solenoid 118 is deactuated. it is then necessary to lower the beam slightly to the desired position and this can be accomplished by bleeding out part of the fluid in the upper ends of the cylinders 6i To accomplish this, bleed valves 135 are connected to the conduits 63 by branch conduits 136 and arranged to be opened by solenoids 137. When the solenoids 137 are energized the bleed valves discharges fluid slowly to the reservoir from the cylinders 60 and thus permit gradual lowering of the beam 54 and the track.

The electrical circuits for actuating the several solenoids and elements of the hydraulic system appear moreclearly in FIG. 9 with some of the switches and operating levers and buttons appearing in their actual physical position in F163. 3 and 4. The electrical system of the machine is energized from the generator 7 which as previously noted is driven from the engine 6. Conductors 138 and 139 extend to switches 14% for selectively energizing the vibratory motors 16 on the two tamper heads. A carriage drive control lever and switch 141 selectively engages the conductor 13% alternatively with the conductors 14 2 and 143 which extend to the solenoids 126 and 128 for actuating the valve 124 for forward or reverse motion of the carriage. The circuit from the solenoids 126 and 123 is extended through a conductor 14-4 in series with the previously described limit switches. 190 and 1% so that the carriage cannot be moved until. the tamper head slides 13 and blades 46 and the rams 62 have been raised. The series conductor 144 also ex tends through and energizes the solenoid or coil 145 of the electric brake 31 to release the brake whenever the traction motor is energized.

Physically positioned Within the transmission 29 and arranged to be actuated by movement of the transmission speed selector lever 34) is a switch 146-14 7. One movable terminal 146 of the switches is connected to the series conductor 144 and closes alternatively on the conductor 14 8 when the transmission is in low speed high torque position of adjustment of the transmission and conductor 149 in the high speed, low torque position of the transmission. The conductor 14 8 completes the drive motor energizing circuit directly to the conductor 139 so that forward and reverse motion of the carriage is regulated solely by the direction selector switch 1 -1, the uplimit safety switches lit-' actuated by the tamper heads and the uplimit safety switches 1% actuated by the rams 62 when the transmission 30 is in normal working low speed position. However, when the transmission is shifted to high speed low torque position the contact 146' closes on a conductor 149 in which the safety switches 163 are connected in series. Thus when the machine is prepared for rapid movement along the track, the ram cylinders 61 must be swung inwardly for adequate clearance.

The'other terminal 147 of the transmission actuated switch is connectedthmugh a conductor d and the previously described solenoid 133 of the low pressure relief valve closes on the conductor 148 in the high speed position of the transmission so that shifting the transmission to high speed ratio automatically conditions the hydraulic system for corresponding high volume operation of the tranction motor 26.

A further safety feature incorporated in the hydraulic system is the provision of a check valve 151 in the conduits 64 conected to the lower ends of the ram operating cylinders 69. The check valves 151 prevent gradual leakage from the lower ends of the cylinders 69 and gradual sinking of the rarns 62 during high speed prolonged travel of the carriage along the track. When the ram cylinders 64 are being intermittently operated in the work cycle of the machine the check valves 151 are au- 7 r 8 tomatically opened by pistons 152 actuated by pressure delivered through conduits 153. The conduits 153 receive pressure from the conduits 63 whenever pressure is connected to the upper ends of the cylinders to purposely depress the rams 62. The tamper heads and their blades &6 can be mechanically locked in raised position by means of hooks 1'54 engageable with pins 155 in the raised positions of the tamping heads. (See FIG. 4.)

The setoff ram or jack 31 is supplied with fluid by a solenoid operated valve 156 having a solenoid 156A connected to be energized by the manual switch 157.

The solenoids 1 13 for moving the valves 112 to lower the rams 62 and lift the track are energized through condoctors 158 and manual switches 159. The oppositely acting solenoids 121 for moving the valves to upwardly moving actuation of the rams are energized through conductors 16% from manual switches 161. Before closing on the conductors 1613, the switches strike delaying detents 162 in a position to close on conductors 136 and energize the solenoid 137 of bleed valves 135. Thus the same down control switch buttons 161 first condition the system to bleed fluid slowly from the tops of the cylinders 60 for slow down motion of the beam 54 and the rails. When full down motion of the hem and opening of the rail gripping jaws is desired the buttons are pushed all the Way down past the detents 162.

Up motion of the tamping head slides is controlled by two three position switches 163 having handles 164 positioned side by side for simultaneous or separate manual operation. In the up motion the switches close on contacts 165 that connect to and energize solenoids 109 and move valve 108 to admit fluid to conduits 52. The down positions of switches 164 close on conductors 166 that extend to and energize solenoids 110 to move the valves to admit fluid to the conduits 53 and lower the tamping heads.

The battery 167 for energizing the emergency pump motor 33 is energized by a switch 163. An auxiliary circuit 169 and switch 176 energizes the solenoid 156 from the battery to actuate the offset ram when necessary. Auxiliary circuits 171 and switches 172 connect the battery to the solenoids 1119 for actuating the valves 108 to raise the tamper heads and auxiliary circuits 173 and switches 17% energize the solenoids 121 to condition the valves 112 to raise the rams 62.

With the foregoing mechanism and control elements combined in the track raising and tamping machine, a single operator can successively advance the machine, stop it with the blades 46 in registering relation with the space on opposite sides of a tie, grip the rails to the beam 54 and raise the beam to a predetermined level, cross level the beam and the rails supported thereby, and actuate the tamper heads to compact ballast underneath the tie in its new elevated position. The single operator can thus perform the work which previously requires a crew of several laborers.

What is claimed as new is:

1. In a tie tamping machine having a carriage adapted to travel on a railway track, a motor connected to a Wheel of the carriage to drive the same, a pair of upright ways having slides vertically reciprocable thereon, vibratory tamper units carried by said slides and positioned in front of said carriage with blades arranged to be thrust into the ballast of a roadbed, hydraulic slide actuating rams connected to separately raise and lower said slides, and an engine on said carriage connected to drive a hydraulic pump and a generator, the combination of a load carrying cross beam mounted on the front of said carriage, upright hydraulic cylinders mounted on the ends of said beam, pistons in said cylinders having ground engaging rams on their lower ends, pairs of oppositely facing laterally aligned rail engaging jaws pivotally mounted on said cross beam and having hydraulic actuated means connected thereto to move the jaws to and from rail gripping positions, first control means connected to regulate the delivery of fluid from said pump to said slide actuating rams, a second control connected to regulate delivery of fluid from said pump to said upright cylinders to lower the piston in said cylinders, a third control connected to separately raise said pistons, and a fourth control mechanically connected to be actuated by initial movement of said third control and prior to full actuation ofthe third control connected to bleed fluid from the tops of said cylinders, said hydraulic actuated means having fluid connections at their jaw opening, and jaw closing ends interconnected with said upright cylinders and arranged to close said jaws upon lowering .said rams and open said jaws upon raising said rams.

2. In a railway roadbed repairing machine having a carriage; translatable along the rails of the railway and a vertically reciprocable power operated ram engageable with the roadbed'to lift the carriage, the combination of a cross beam secured to said carriage and on which the load reaction elements of said ram are mounted, pairs of spaced side plates on the undersides of said cross beam and generally over said rails, :a pair of pivot bolts extending between the plates of said pairs with sleeves around the bolts and between the plates, opposed rail engaging hooks pivoted on said pivot bolts and said sleeves and swingable transversely into and out of gripping relation with the rails therebelow, support blocks clamped to the top and bottom of said sleeves on said bolts, a sleeve positioned horizontally on the top of each top block and extending transversely of said rails, a hydraulic cylinder slidably retained on each top block by said last transverse sleeves and having an extensible piston rod, and links connecting the opposite ends of said cylinders and piston rods to the ends of the opposed hooks above their pivots.

3. In a railwayroadbed repairing machine having a carriage translatable along the rails of the railway and a vertically reciprocable power operated ram engageable with the roadbed to lift the carriage, the combination of a-cross beam secured to said carriage and on which the load reaction elements of said ram are mounted, pairs of spaced side plates on the undersides of said cross beam and generally over said rails, a pair of pivot bolts extending between the plates of said pairs, opposed rail engaging hooks pivoted on said pivot bolts and swingable transversely into and out of gripping relation with the rails therebelow, support blocks clamped to the top and bottom of said bolts, a hydraulic cylinder slidably retained on each top block and having an extensible piston rod, and links connecting the opposite ends of said cylinders and piston rods to the ends of the opposed hooks.

4. In a railway roadbed repairing machine having a carriage translatable along the rails of the railway and vertically reciprocable power operated ram engageable with the ro-adbed to lift the carriage, the combination of pairs of spaced transverse plates on the undersides of said carriage and generally over said rails, a pair of pivot bolts extending between the plates of said pairs and spaced transversely of the carriage, opposed rail engaging hooks pivoted on said pivot bolts and swingable transversely into and out of gripping relation with the rails therebelow, support blocks clamped to said bolts, a hydraulic cyilnder slidably retained on each block and having an extensible piston rod, and links connecting the opposite ends of said cylinders and piston rods to the ends of the opposed hooks.

5. In combination with a tie tamping machine having a carriage adapted to travel on a railway track and with a, driven generator and hydraulic pump as power sources, vertically reciprocable tamper heads having roadbed engaging vibratory blades connected to said generator to be vibrated thereby, hydraulic means connected to said pump to raise and lower said heads, a cross beam carried on said carriage and having hydraulically actuatedrail engag ing jaws mounted on its underside and upright cylinders laterally swingably mounted on its ends, and ground engaging rams extensible from the lower ends of said cylinders to engage the ground'beyond the ends of ties supporting the carriage when said cylinders are swung outwardly, control mechanism for actuating said machine comprisingan hydraulic motor connected through a two speed transmission to a driving wheel for said carriage to drive the carriage, first control means connected to regulate said hydraulic means connected to raise and-lower said heads, second control means including hydraulic connections between said pump and said cylinders connected to raise and lower said rams, hydraulic sequence valves connected in said second control means between said hydraulically actuated jaws and said cylinders to close said jaws prior to lowering said rams and to open said jaws prior to complete raising of said rams, drive control means arranged to connect said pump reversibly to said motor, means to shift said transmission between high and low speed positions, first safety controls actuated by said rams and said heads in the raised positions thereof and arranged to interrupt said drive control means in the lowered'positions of the rams and heads, second safety controls actuated by lateral swinging motion of said cylinders, means actuated by shifting said transmission to high speed position arranged to interpose said'second safety controls in said'drive control means, pressure bleed means connected to permit raising of said rams independently of saidsecond control means, a brake connected to said drive wheel and engaged by movement of said drive control means to non driving position, and means actuated by movement of said transmission to high speed position connectedto reduce the pressure delivered by'said pump to said motor.

6. in combination with a tie tamping machine having a carriage adapted to travel on a railway-track and with a driven generator and hydraulic pump as power sources, vertically reciprocable tamper heads having roadbed engaging vibratory blades connected to said generator to be vibratedthereby, hydraulic means connected to said pump to raise and lower said'he-ads, hydraulically actuated rail engagingjaws mounted on the underside of said carriage and upright cylinders laterally swingably mounted on the sides of the carriage, and ground engaging rams extensible from the lower ends of said cylinders to engage the ground beyond the ends of ties supporting the carriage when said cylinders are swung outwardly, control mechanism for actuating said machine comprising an hydraulic motor connected through a two speed transmission to a driving wheel for said carriage to drive the carriage, first control means connected to regulate said hydraulic means connected to raise and lower said heads, second control means including hydraulic connections between said pump and said cylinders connected to raise and lower said rams, hydraulic sequence valves connected in said second control means between said hydraulically actuated jaws and said cylinders to close said jaws prior to lowering said rams and to open said jaws prior'to complete raising of said rams, drive control means arranged to connect said pump reversibly to said motor, means to shift said transmission between high and low speed position-s, first safety controls actuated by said rams and said heads in the raised positions thereof and arranged to interrupt said drive control means in the lowered positions of the ram and heads, second safety controls actuated by lateral swinging motion of said cylinders, means actuated by shifting said transmission to high speed position arranged to inter-pose said second safety controls in said drive control means, and means actuated by movement of said transmission to high speed position connected to reduce the pressure delivered by said pump to said motor.

7. In a tie tamping machine having a carriage adapted to travel on a railway track, a motor connected through a high and low speed transmission to a wheel of the carriage to drive the same, a pair of upright ways having slides vertically reciprocable thereon, vibratory tamper units carried by said slides and positioned in front of said carriage with blades arranged to be thrust into the ballast of a roadbed, hydraulic slide actuating rams connected to separately raise and lower said slides, and an engine on said carriage connected to drive a hydraulic pump and a generator, the combination of laterally swingable arms mounted on the front of said carriage, upright hydraulic cylinders mounted on the ends of said arms, pistons in said cylinders having ground engaging rams on their lower ends, pairs of oppositely facing laterally aligned rail engaging jaws pivotally mounted on said carriage and having hydraulic actuating means connected thereto to move the jaws to and from rail gripping positions, controls connected to actuate said slide actuating rams to slide raising and lowering positions, second controls connected to said pump to lower said pistons, third controls connected to said pump to raise said pistons, said jaw operating cylinders being connected to said secnd and third controls by sequence valves to close the jaws prior to lowering of said pistons and to open said jaws prior to raising said pistons, a direction control connected to reversely connect said motor to said pump, a 'fourth control actuated by shifting movement of said transmission to high speed position to connect limit switches in series with said direction control which require inward swinging of said pistons for high speed operation of said motor, and up limit switches closed in the raised positions of said ground engaging rams and said slides connected in electrical series with said direction control.

8. In a tie tamping machine having a carriage adapted to travel on a railway track, a pair of upright ways having slides vertically reciprocable thereon, vibratory tamper units carried by said slides and positioned in front of said carriage with blades arranged to be thrust into the ballast of a roadbed, hydraulic slide actauting rams connected to separately raise and lower said slides, and an engine on said carriage connected to drive a hydraulic pump and a generator, the combination of upright hydraulic cylinders mounted on the sides of said carriage, pistons in said cylinders having ground engaging rams on their lower ends engageable with the ground beyond the ends of the ties of a roadbed, pairs of oppositely facing laterally aligned rail engaging jaws pivotally mounted below said carriage and having hydraulic actuating means connected thereto to move the jaws to and from rail gripping positions, elevation sensing devices mounted on the sides of said carriage cooperative with an elevation reference means extending over said carriage, controls connected to actuate said slide actuating rams to slide raising and lowering positions, second controls connected to said pump to lower said pistons, third controls connected to said pump to raise said pistons, said jaw operating cylinders being connected to said second and third controls by sequence valves to close the jaws prior to lowering of said pistons and to open said jaws prior to raising said pistons, and controls operative independently of each third control to slowly bleed fluid from said upright cylinders to permit gradual raising of said rams relative to said carriage.

9. In a tie tamping machine having a carriage adapted to travel on a railway track, a hydraulic motor connected through a high and low speed transmission to a wheel of the carriage to drive the same, a pair of upright ways having slides vertically reciprocable thereon, vibratory tamper units carried by said slides and positioned in front of said carriage with blades arranged to be thrust into the ballast of a roadbed, hydraulic slide actuating rams connected to separately raise and lower said slides, and an engine on said carriage connected to drive a hydraulic pump and a generator, the combination of upright hydraulic cylinders mounted at the sides of said carriage, pistons in said cylinders having ground engaging rams on their lower ends, pairs of oppositely facing laterally aligned rail engaging jaws pivotally mounted underneath said carriage having hydraulic actuated means connected thereto to move the jaws to and from rail gripping positions, elevation sensing devices mounted at the sides of said carriage cooperative with an elevation reference means extending over said carriage, a level indicator mounted on said carriage, controls including a first pair of solenoid operated valves connected to regulate the delivery of fluid from said pump to said slide actuating rams, a pair of manual switches electrically connected to actuate said first pair of valves to slide raising and lowering positions, a second pair of solenoid operated valves connected to regulate delivery of fluid from said pump to said upright cylinders, a second pair of mmual switches connected to separately actuate said second pair of valves to position to lower the pistons in said cylinders, a third pair of manually operable switches connected to separately actuate said second pail of valves to position to raise said piston, a fourth pair of manually operable switches mechanically connected to be actuated by initial movement of said third pair of switches prior to actuation of the third switches, and solenoid operated bleed valves electrically connected to be opened by said fourth pair of switches and hydraulically connected to bleed fluid from the tops of said cylinders, said jaw operating cylinders having fluid connections through pressure sequence valves to said upright cylinders to close said jaws prior to lowering said rams and open said jaws prior to raising said rams, a direction control connected to reversely connect said motor to said pump and having solenoids for reversely positioning the direction controls, a direction control switch having alternatively closable contacts connected to energize the solenoids of said direction control valve, and up limit switches closed in the raised positions of said ground engaging rams and said slides connected in electrical series in the energizing circuit to said direction control valve.

10. In a tie tamping machine having a carriage adapted to travel on a railway track, a motor connected to a wheel of the carriage to drive the same, a pair of upright ways having slides vertically reciprocable thereon, vibratory tamper units carried by said slides and positioned in front of said carriage with blades arranged to be thrust into the ballast of a roadbed, hydraulic slide actuating rams connected to separately raise and lower said slides, and an engine on said carriage connected to drive a hydraulic pump and a generator, the combination of a load carrying cross beam mounted on the front of said carriage, upright hydraulic cylinders mounted on the ends of said beam, pistons in said cylinders having ground engaging rams on their lower ends, pairs of oppositely facing laterally aligned rail engaging jaws pivotally mounted on said cross beam and having hydraulic actuated means connected thereto to move the jaws to and from rail gripping positions, a control to regulate the delivery of fluid from said pump to said slide actuating rams to slide raising and lowering positions, a second control connected to regulate delivery or" fluid from said pump to said upright cylinders to separately raise and lower the pistons in said cylinders, said jaw operating cylinders having fluid connections at their jaw opening and jaw closing ends, first sequence valves connected between said second control and the tops of said upright cylinders and having direct flow passages connected to the jaw closing ends of said jaw operating cylinders and pressure opened passages connected to the upright cylinders, and second sequence valves connected between said second control and the bottoms of said upright cylinders and having direct flow passages connected to the jaw opening ends of said jaw operating cylinders and pressure opened passages connected to said upright cylinders.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,712,287 Zurmuhle July 5, 1955 2,777,220 Bates Jan. 15, 1957 (Gther references on following page) 13 14 UNITED STATES PATENTS 753,519 Great Britain July 25, 1956 Hursh P 23 Gr a t B ai 2,846,187 Sublett et a1. Aug. 5, 1958 121,807 1958 2,855,862 Kind Oct. 14, 1958 5 OTHER REFERENCES 2,869,476 Kershaw Jan. 20, 1959 C a 2,926,617 Kershaw Mar- 1, 1960 Plauser at 211.. Gvrman appllcatlon 1,078,15 prlnted March 24, 1960 (K1. 1%. 30 02).

2,962,979 McCormick Dec. 6, 1960 0 2,996,016 Keller Aug 15, 1961 angagway Track an S r M h 1157, Pages 63 FOREIGN PATENTS 10 relggilggy Track and Structures, March 1958, page 71 724,322 Great Britain Feb. 16, 1955 

1. IN A TIE TAMPING MACHINE HAVING A CARRIAGE ADAPTED TO TRAVEL ON A RAILWAY TRACK, A MOTOR CONNECTED TO A WHEEL OF THE CARRIAGE TO DRIVE THE SAME, A PAIR OF UPRIGHT WAYS HAVING SLIDES VERTICALLY RECIPROCABLE THEREON, VIBRATORY TAMPER UNITS CARRIED BY SAID SLIDES AND POSITIONED IN FRONT OF SAID CARRIAGE WITH BLADES ARRANGED TO BE THRUST INTO THE BALLAST OF A ROADBED, HYDRAULIC SLIDE ACTUATING RAMS CONNECTED TO SEPARATELY RAISE AND LOWER SAID SLIDES, AND AN ENGINE ON SAID CARRIAGE CONNECTED TO DRIVE A HYDRAULIC PUMP AND A GENERATOR, THE COMBINATION OF A LOAD CARRYING CROSS BEAM MOUNTED ON THE FRONT OF SAID CARRIAGE, UPRIGHT HYDRAULIC CYLINDERS MOUNTED ON THE ENDS OF SAID BEAM, PISTONS IN SAID CYLINDERS HAVING GROUND ENGAGING RAMS ON THEIR LOWER ENDS, PAIRS OF OPPOSITELY FACING LATERALLY ALIGNED RAIL ENGAGING JAWS PIVOTALLY MOUNTED ON SAID CROSS BEAM AND HAVING HYDRAULIC ACTUATED MEANS CONNECTED THERETO TO MOVE THE JAWS TO AND FROM RAIL GRIPPING POSITIONS, FIRST CONTROL MEANS CONNECTED TO REGULATE THE DELIVERY OF FLUID FROM SAID PUMP TO SAID SLIDE ACTUATING RAMS, A SECOND CONTROL CONNECTED TO REGULATE DELIVERY OF FLUID FROM SAID PUMP TO SAID UPRIGHT CYLINDERS TO LOWER THE PISTON IN SAID CYLINDERS, A THIRD CONTROL CONNECTED TO SEPARATELY RAISE SAID PISTONS, AND A FOURTH CONTROL MECHANICALLY CONNECTED TO BE ACTUATED BY INITIAL MOVEMENT OF SAID THIRD CONTROL AND PRIOR TO FULL ACTUATION OF THE THIRD CONTROL CONNECTED TO BLEED FLUID FROM THE TOPS OF SAID CYLINDERS, SAID HYDRAULIC ACTUATED MEANS HAVING FLUID CONNECTIONS AT THEIR JAW OPENING AND JAW CLOSING ENDS INTERCONNECTED WITH SAID UPRIGHT CYLINDERS AND ARRANGED TO CLOSE SAID JAWS UPON LOWERING SAID RAMS AND OPEN SAID JAWS UPON RAISING SAID RAMS. 